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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rash — a series
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com